Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-06
HEADWEAR OF THE VERY POOR,
Some of the Banners Which Poverty
Hangs Out.

lopeclal correspondence.
NEW YORK, June 81
Nowhere under the sun does the headwear
Of women reach so low a point in respect
ability as in New York. The bonnets of the
very poor advertise the poverty of their own
ers hike banners. They are worn Until the =
drop into holes as shoes do. They become
soled and CREASED and stained until their
original texture is beyond discernment.
Crime and misery settle upon them and grin
at the prosperous from their ghaStlv perch.
There is something inexpressibly painful in
setting the signal of distress on ones head and
wearing it for all the world to sec The
women one meets wearing these wrecks of
bonnets are not conscious of heralding their
misery by 50 doing. The bonnets have gone
down into woe with them, and they are nm
conscious of the descent. They, the bonnsts
were fair to look upon once. They belonged
70 persons who had some joy in their hearts
But when they became the crumbs that fell
from the hands of the comfortable into the
hands of the miserable they lost their air of
responsibility and became outlaws in the
Kingdom of millinery.
If you want to see bonnets that have
reached the last ditch in a downward career.
board what is known as "the green carr and
ride to Grand street ferry, or 90 down the
Bowery and hang around Pell street: or wall,
through Battery park; or even through Vesey
street; yes, or even in Union and Madison
squares. The bonnets of degradation have
way of confronting one almost anywhere
here. They meet you on Broadway amid It's
splendors; they are under your ewes In the
parks; they challenge your pity on the horse
cars: they are waiting on UNEXPECTED corners
Sometimes one meets old, old women on the
streets who wear and carry every article thev
possess in the world. They are afioat like
sailless, rudderless hulks, at the mercy IF the
strong, selfish ships and the winds of fate
saw one only this morning. She had one be-
culiarity not common to the wretchedly moor
here. She was clean. Even the rags which
covered her had been washed until their hare
threads Tucked fresh and almost attractive
A little band of clean white was alout
her neck, and her faded face had been
scrubbed with soap until it shone. The bit of
gray hair that time and trouble had SHARED
had been well brushed, but the inevitable
wreck OF bonnet, with the dust of ages
upon 1t, adorned her head As bonnets can
not be washed, it was dirty. Its owner car
ried small black bundle, which contained
ner entire earthly possessions. She was ON
ner way to service; something had been
FOUND Tor her to do, though it would seem
That she couldn't do much because Of feeble
strength. Her whole moneyed capital was a
counterfeit quarter which the keeper of a
cheap restaurant had palmed off upon her
when she bought her breakfast. She limo
Gently presented it TO the conductor of the
car 20 pay her fare.
1T isn't worth cent, lady" he said. Car
conductors call all women ladies when thew
speak to them, believing it the correct form
OF address. lady among the passengers
offered to pay her fare, but the old woman re-
FUSED, thanked her and insisted on getting of
70 60 back and hunt up the wretch who had
gi7en her the spurious coin. A.I.C